CVE-2007-6497 in Hosting Controller
Summary
by MITRE
Hosting Controller 6.1 Hot fix 3.3 and earlier (1) allows remote attackers to change arbitrary user profiles via a request to Hosting/Addreseller.asp with modified loginname and email parameters; and (2) allows remote authenticated users to change a credit amount and increase a discount via an UpdateUser action to Accounts/AccountActions.asp with modified UserName, FullName, CreditLimit, and DefaultDiscount parameters, a related issue to CVE-2005-2219.
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Analysis
by VulDB Data Team • 10/12/2024
The vulnerability described in CVE-2007-6497 affects Hosting Controller version 6.1 Hot fix 3.3 and earlier, representing a critical authorization and authentication flaw that enables both remote attackers and authenticated users to manipulate user account data through manipulated web requests. This issue stems from insufficient input validation and parameter sanitization within the web application's user management interfaces, specifically targeting two distinct attack vectors that collectively undermine the system's user integrity and financial controls.
The technical implementation of this vulnerability exploits weak access controls and parameter validation mechanisms within the Hosting Controller web application. Attackers can manipulate requests sent to Hosting/Addreseller.asp by modifying the loginname and email parameters, allowing them to alter arbitrary user profiles without proper authorization. Additionally, authenticated users can exploit the Accounts/AccountActions.asp endpoint through an UpdateUser action, modifying critical financial parameters including UserName, FullName, CreditLimit, and DefaultDiscount. This dual attack surface demonstrates a fundamental flaw in the application's privilege management and parameter handling, where user input is not properly validated or sanitized before being processed.
The operational impact of this vulnerability extends beyond simple profile modification, as it creates opportunities for unauthorized financial manipulation and user impersonation. Remote attackers can potentially compromise multiple user accounts by changing login credentials and email addresses, leading to account takeover scenarios that could result in unauthorized access to sensitive customer data and services. The ability for authenticated users to increase credit limits and discounts creates financial exposure for the hosting provider, potentially leading to revenue loss and unauthorized service access. This vulnerability directly violates the principle of least privilege and demonstrates inadequate input validation practices that could enable more sophisticated attacks including privilege escalation and data exfiltration.
This vulnerability aligns with CWE-285 (Improper Authorization) and CWE-20 (Improper Input Validation) categories, representing a clear violation of secure coding practices and authentication mechanisms. The attack vectors map to several MITRE ATT&CK techniques including T1078 (Valid Accounts) for account takeover scenarios and T1496 (Resource Hijacking) for financial manipulation. Organizations should implement comprehensive input validation, enforce strict parameter sanitization, and establish proper access controls to prevent such issues. The vulnerability also highlights the importance of regular security assessments and patch management, as the issue existed in versions up to and including Hot fix 3.3, indicating a failure to address known security gaps in the application's user management functionality. Remediation should include implementing proper authentication checks, validating all user inputs, and ensuring that administrative actions require multiple levels of verification to prevent unauthorized modifications to user accounts and financial parameters.